


Candied Hearts

by imperator_titus



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternative Universe - Bakery, Alternative Universe - Modern, Bad puns and jokes, F/M, FinnRey (minor part), Fluff, Hux is Hopeless, PoeRose (minor part)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-06
Updated: 2018-08-28
Packaged: 2019-06-22 19:56:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 17,247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15589539
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imperator_titus/pseuds/imperator_titus
Summary: A series of small instalments themed around ingredients and bad puns/jokes. Forgetting his coffee one time, Hux finally goes to the V&F Bakery by his firm's office and gets more than he bargained for.Revised:2019-04





	1. Parts 1-3: Lemon, Earl Grey, Matcha

**Author's Note:**

> Link to [A Million Lives: Collector’s Edition Vol. 1](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1sm_XizydRPh5Vl74mdjmU60AkvRwemHg/view), a PDF version of the book.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Recipes Featured: [[Earl Grey Shortbreads](https://honestlyyum.com/7573/earl-grey-shortbread-squares/)] [[Matcha White Chocolate](http://tohercore.com/matcha-white-chocolate-with-genmaicha/)]  
> Originally Posted: 2018-08-06, Revised: 2019-04-22

### An Introduction: Lemon

Every morning on his way to work and every night when he went home, Armitage Hux passed a bakery just one storefront away from the corner of Virginia and Fifth. This was because he refused to deal with traffic, like any sane person, and through the sheer coincidence of the shortest path between two locations. As someone who didn’t like sweets, he didn’t pay attention to it other than the smell; the smell of baked goods was fine but the taste? _Disgusting._ There seemed to be a rotation of scents and over time the schedule of it wormed its way into his senses and internal clock.

Smells like coffee? Monday.

Smells like strawberries? Wednesday.

Smells like tea? Friday.

The schedule, of course, shifted with the changing of the seasons; there was the ever-present smell of pumpkin, cranberries, and apples during autumn, peppermint, rhubarb, and hazelnut in winter. Spring saw curious flower fragrances, summer was coconut and citrus. The store had stayed open for quite some time, long enough for Hux to assume it would be a long-term fixture in the scenery of his walk to and from his law office. One day he had the unfortunate luck of, for the first time in two years, forgetting his thermos of coffee at home. Millicent had probably hopped up on the counter, like a bad kitty, and knocked it over already.

When he made the realization that there was nothing in his right hand, he was already coming upon the bakery. He knew by heart the words painted on the windows and so, for the first time in two years, he briskly walked inside. Of course, the place was busy, it was the morning commute, but the lean brunette and her Vietnamese partner worked flawlessly to keep the line moving. While he waited, he looked through the glass that allowed a look into the actual bakery. A small blonde woman wearing a dust mask and apron seemed to be in charge, moving swiftly from oven to counter to mixer, two dark-skinned men aiding her. Hux didn’t have long to be a voyeur into someone else’s work day as he stood in front of the counter. “Coffee, Black.”

The girl, Rose from the flowery stitching on her apron, gave him a confused look. It was met by him raising one of his eyebrows, unsure of how that was a strange request seeing as there was a coffee machine right behind her. She giggled and turned red with a smile. “I’m sorry, sir, no one has ever actually asked for just plain coffee before. One second, please.”

How could no one have ever asked for just coffee before? Were people in this area that… _complicated_? He watched as the young woman talked to the blonde, who lowered her dust mask to speak. He’d picked up on learning to read lips, to aid in his meetings and information gathering, and unabashedly ‘listened’ in on their conversation.

“Someone just wants plain coffee, but there’s no button for that in the system?” Rose had said.

“Whatever, just give it to him. If he feels obligated to pay something, consider it a tip. Or ask him for a dollar. That’ll be the policy, I guess. How about if they act like a dick, it’s a dollar?” The blonde replaced her mask and only briefly met his gaze when she turned to go back to what she was doing. Rose came back out, made him his coffee, and handed it over. Hux already had a dollar pulled out from his wallet and offered it with his left hand.

“Oh, sir, you don’t-”

“I act like a dick enough during the rest of my day that I think I owe you the dollar. Have a nice day.” They exchanged their objects as she giggled at his joke and he left to finish his commute. That day the place had smelled of lemon.

* * *

### Tea, Earl Grey, Baked

Hux found himself forgetting his morning coffee more often. Was it on purpose? Only the jury of his mind could tell and they were currently hung. He was completely unsure of why he’d want to suddenly change his routine to include coming into the bakery, he loved schedules and routines, old and well-worn habits. But he also supposed he liked the feeling of a new suit or the smell of a new office chair, so he equated asking Rose or Rey for a coffee twice a week and handing them a five to a new suit. While he stood in line he would watch the three people in the back work like a well-oiled machine. He liked that. _Efficiency._

It seemed almost silly and increasingly pretentious that he came into a bakery and never ordered something other than ‘coffee, black.’ It came with not appreciating the taste of sugar on his tongue, the sensation like a bad memory scored into his brain. Nonetheless, he also made sure to see what was in the display case and nothing looked cheap. Even the coffee they gave him tasted like it was only a few pegs below his in quality and he bought really good stuff, so this came as a compliment. 

It was summer and Hux supposed that a lot of people got married in the summer, which meant a lot of cakes had to be made. He wasn’t the only one who became distracted watching the bakers work on a big wedding cake but he still became enamoured with the careful way the blonde made sure everything was just right. Having to get his coffee and go to his office felt like leaving the symphony early.

He wasn’t supposed to be tired already, but he _was_ and there was nothing he could do about it. It was time to leave anyway, so he picked up his case, took his hat from the rack by his door, and walked out. Halfway he met his secretary and told her to feel free to take off early. Not that it was particularly early, just that it was early for him. Armitage was secretly glad that he decided to leave when he did because if he’d stayed until he normally did, the bakery would’ve been closed. Then he’d have to wait until he got home to have some coffee. Swooping in, he removed his hat respectfully and was surprised to find the place not very busy. While Rose helped a customer, he approached the display case to more closely inspect the confections inside. There was the usual fare and some things he supposed were her own recipe or maybe he really was that out of touch with what people indulged in. Each was labelled in neat handwriting with a code of letters that most likely denoted allergens and baking methods, seeing as everything was sequestered in groups by the glass and all with their own serving utensils.

“If you have a question let me know.” The voice almost scared him out of his skin. It belonged to neither of the two young women and he hadn’t expected there to be someone behind the counter, but there was the blonde baker looking at him curiously with deep blue eyes that had Hux staring for a second. “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you. I tend to do that.”

“I was curious about that one.” He pointed to something that had caught his eye, a box of little speckled-white squares, the card spelling out ‘Tea, Earl Grey, Baked.’ “I’m not actually fond of sweets, but I… do like tea.”

“And coffee.” Armitage actually let the air out of his nose in an amused fashion. He’d somehow made an impression on this person and it was the first time they’d met or spoken. “It’s shortbread, made with earl grey leaves. I don’t make them particularly sweet.”

His eyes followed her hands as she plucked a loose square from the display, placed it on a napkin, and offered it to him. To his surprise, he popped it into his mouth and actually… _enjoyed_ it. “I’ll take a box if you don’t mind. And… why is it labelled like that?”

She snorted a laugh as she prepared the box properly for transport and walked it over to the register to be taken care of. “It’s a Star Trek reference. I’m a nerd I’m afraid.”

She was already gone before he remembered to ask for her name. Like a fool, he went home, made a cup of tea, curled up on his sofa with Millicent, and watched the seldom-used television in his living room. Upon finding that there were many things that fell under the label of ‘Star Trek,’ Hux fell down a rabbit hole of trying to find out which one she was making a joke about and then if it mattered about the order it was watched in; he even took into consideration how well-received everything was. Seeing as the store had smelled like tea, that meant it was Friday, and that meant he could accidentally get sucked into watching something, drink litres of tea, and almost eat the whole box of shortbreads without it ruining the next day of work.

* * *

### Matcha Do About Nothing

It was officially a habit because now he brought his empty thermos with him to avoid having to hold the paper cups they had. On days he didn’t come in the morning he stopped on his way home. It was officially a problem and Armitage didn’t even know why he was doing it. Friday came and Friday meant tea flavours, so he stopped on his way home to pick up more of those shortbreads.

“I’m sorry, we don’t make the same things every week. Let me check the card…” The store was slow, he was the only one in there except for the employees and a couple who were quietly sharing whatever special drink it was for the week with some cookies. Armitage watched, trying to seem only slightly interested, as Rey pulled out a thick binder full of the display cards for all of their products tucked into plastic pages like trading cards. She found the associated card and looked at the back. “They would take too long to make a fresh batch, sorry. We do orders if you want to pick them up some other day.”

That put a damper on his mood, but where it would normally make him irritated he was more or less disappointed. He had looked forward to enjoying this rare treat, a new habit. He was about to say he would place an order to be picked up Monday when Rey was replaced by the small blonde. “Light on the sugar, right?”

Hux opened his mouth to speak but the woman moved on to the display case where she regarded everything with a discerning but tired eye. She plucked something green that reminded him of the peanut brittle one of the secretaries always brought in around the holidays. “I don’t know-”

“It’s matcha, which is a fine green tea, the sweetness comes from the honey and vanilla, no added sugars. Unsweetened cacao butter, macadamia nuts and genmaicha, which is a Japanese green tea with puffed brown rice.” The card had said ‘Matcha Do About Nothing’ which had garnered a small laugh from him before he broke off a piece to eat. It was slightly sweet but in a pleasantly natural way. She seemed to glow suddenly as if a lightbulb inside her had turned on when he smiled slightly at her.

“I’ll take what’s left.” There wasn’t much which meant it was either very popular or she hadn’t made much but either way it seemed like a reasonable amount. “And I’d like your name, please. If you don’t mind.”

She started carefully putting the remaining brittle into a box and tied it off with a piece of thin string. Hux could see the smile threatening her lips and playing in her blue eyes with barely contained glee, but her last words to him that evening surprised him. “I do mind.”

He was left to pay Rey and he also decided to place an order for the shortbreads for him to pick up Monday evening. Then he had a thought. “I’ve seen you display doughnuts and those kinds of things, right?”

“Yes, sir, we do.”

“Then I’d like to make an order to be picked up Monday morning.” The young woman produced a list of what would be available that morning and he placed a diverse order to be picked up by an intern and brought to the breakrooms along with a few to be gifted to the building staff as a token of appreciation.

“Wow, Mister Hux, that’s quite the order. But we’ll have it ready for you, don’t worry.” Rey flashed him a smile and handed him his parcel to take home. He knew better than to ask her for her employer’s name, it would make her uncomfortable, so he would have to do with waiting. Sure, he could just look the information up, but where was the fun in that? Hux was used to games, the chase.


	2. Parts 4-6: Blood Orange, Ginger, Orange

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Recipes Featured: [[Blood Orange Tart](https://www.bbc.com/food/recipes/bloodorangetart_93766)] [[Ginger Caramels](https://iambaker.net/ginger-caramels/)] [[Orange, Goji, and Strawberry Raw Vegan Cheesecake](https://www.cocooncooks.com/blog-en/orange-goji-strawberry-raw-vegan-cheesecake)]  
> Original Posted: 2018-08-06, Revised: 2019-04-23

### Bloodorange on the Dancefloor

Monday saw all of the matcha brittle scarfed down and the whole office, all five floors of it, ecstatic about the morning delivery. Hux never thought there could be such an energy in the place and secretly enjoyed hearing from his secretary that everyone was trying to figure out who’d bought them. He would have to make a monthly habit of making the order, even though that meant stopping at the bakery. How tragic.

He didn’t like sweets, he was determined that this was a permanent immovable preference of his, but in the end, he did tell his secretary to grab something for him along with his noon coffee. Thankfully not many people preferred plain unglazed doughnuts, though this one had picked up some extra powder and icing from neighbouring treats, and it still went perfectly with his coffee as he took a moment to relax. Hux knew he worked too hard, he needed the distraction and the thrill, but he found himself taking steps to set aside time for things like this: looking out of his window, sipping his drink, and letting his mind wander. It scaled its way down the glass front of the building, walked one block down Fifth, and turned down Virginia just far enough to pop into a shop that couldn’t cool itself fast enough in the summer heat and always smelled divine. Through a window he could watch his little obsession work, making jokes and barking orders.

He didn’t even know her name. The lettering on the sign was simply ‘V&F Bakery’ which offered no insight. When he left his office he, as always, took the same route that went past the bakery and dipped inside. It was one of the assistants, ‘Poe’ his apron said, that gave him his package of the earl grey cookies he’d ordered. The man was smooth and charming but unfortunately for him, Hux had already become interested in his employer. “Boss made ‘em just for you.”

“I imagined you’d be quite busy this morning, I’m surprised she found the time.” Hux wasn’t one for casual conversation that didn’t involve his work, so this would later be seen as another turning point in his behaviour. Poe clicked his tongue and laughed, a pleasing sound.

“We were, actually. Had to wake up extra early, even had the girls helping a little. But nothing coffee and taking naps in shifts didn’t fix.” The man winked at him as they said their goodbyes and on the way home Hux contemplated how much extra time it would’ve really taken to fill the order he’d made. He’d feel guilty if it hadn’t seemed like the man had implied that they’d enjoyed the challenge.

Teapot warm, the cat curled up beside him, and a history documentary on, he opened the box of cookies only to find that the one on top was shaped like the letter ‘A’ with all the rest being normal squares. He set it aside, contemplating its meaning as he sipped tea and delicately ate his treat. This time he was more careful about not eating the entire box, saving some in an airtight container to be eaten the next day.

The next morning he ducked into the bakery for his coffee and was surprised when Rose pushed an already-made box towards him along with his filled thermos. “What is this?”

“Boss said to give it to you when you came in. Packed it herself. It smells like the blood orange tart we have out today.” He peered over at the display case to find the price of what she thought was in there. It was obviously a joke, but he didn’t get it. ‘Blood Orange on the Dancefloor.’ He held out the amount with a healthy tip for the coffee. Rose put up her hand in a humble refusal. “She said that wasn’t necessary, Mister Hux.”

“We’ll assume I have a lot of bad karma to make up for.” He folded the bills up so they could fit more neatly into the tip jar on the counter. “Have a nice day, Miss Rose.”

“Thank you, sir! You too!” She was always so cheery, it was becoming infectious.

Hux sat down at his desk and while his secretary chattered at him and his computer came to life, he opened the box with the supposed gift inside. The piece of parchment that protected the top of the tart had the letter ‘N’ neatly written on it. He smiled to himself and heard his secretary falter. “Is everything alright, sir?”

“Everything is perfect, Miss Unamo. Please continue.” The game had already started, but it looked like it would take some time. He opened his phone to make a note: A N

Hux would just have to wait for the rest. Even if it meant he would slowly be adjusting his palate to graciously accept his opponent’s gifts.

* * *

### Stepchild Caramels

Hux no longer had the pleasure of choosing what he would be getting when he came into the bakery. No matter if it was morning or evening, there would be a box already tucked behind the counter with his name on it. The money he handed over was considered a tip and as a compromise, knowing full well the place couldn’t be operating on too much of a profit margin, he had doughnuts ordered every Monday, though only for a floor at a time. He’d also slid the bakery’s information into a report for the office manager for her to order anything they might need from his new obsession. Normally he’d say he took care of his own, but there was nothing about that shop or that woman that was ‘his,’ other than a fascination.

The note in his phone already read ‘A N E I R’ when he received an ‘I’ with a box of caramels. It was late and no one was around; Finn had been the one to help him, making some comment about how ecstatic ‘Boss’ was about the scheduled orders for Hux’s office. The woman in question was nowhere to be seen, most likely cleaning or having finished what needed to be done in order to take a break; the bakers woke up fairly early to complete their tasks. The redhead had stopped long enough in front of the display case that Finn was cleaning out to notice the name of the gifted treat. “I’m sorry, I know she makes strange jokes and references, but what is ‘stepchild caramels’ supposed to mean?”

“It is a strange joke, yeah?” Finn laughed, scratched the back of his neck and scrunched up his face in thought. “I asked her once, she said something like, ‘never ‘eard of a redheaded stepchild?’ At the time that didn’t make much sense, but then we had this stray cat in the alleyway and Poe said ‘seen the ginger out back?’ Boss replied in this sing-song voice ‘only a ginger can call another ginger ginger.’ They’re ginger caramels, so since she couldn’t call them gingers-”

“They’re redheads. I see.” Hux was both miffed and amused at the length the woman would go for a joke.

“Her father found it funny, I guess not all-” he pointed at Hux and then realized that was rude so he quickly closed his hand, “not all redheads would appreciate it. Do you want me to… tell her?”

“What does her father have to do with the joke?” The question came out before he had the presence of mind not to dig into the woman’s personal life. They weren’t dating, he didn’t even know her name, so there was no reason for him to know her father. But to his surprise, Finn got out his phone to show him a picture. Dwarfing the small blonde was a mountain of a man with hair and beard as red as fresh blood, the two sitting at one of the tables in the bakery playing cards. “No, no, don’t tell her. It’s an interesting joke. Have a nice night.”

On the way home and well into the night, Hux’s mind was plagued with all sorts of thoughts. How could a man so tall and muscular, built like a redwood, have such a small daughter? He thought about having to introduce himself to the man and a cold shiver ran down his spine; if he’d been afraid of his own father for being a bigger man than him, he couldn’t imagine how he’d feel being eclipsed by hers. But that was getting ahead of himself. He wondered what her mother looked like, what her relationship with them was like, where she grew up, what did she do as a child, did she have siblings, did she ever have relationships, did she like animals, would she-

Hux couldn’t wait to finally know just her name.

* * *

### A Kraftwerk Orange

Aneirin. He knew that was the entirety of her first name because the bottom of the second ‘N’ note said ‘Nice to meet you, Armitage.’ He barely spoke to her the past week and some change; it would’ve disturbed him that she knew his first name if he didn’t remember they had his information from his orders. No one ever used his first name except for those too powerful for him to break them of their habit of calling someone by their first name. He didn’t like it, his father would spit it like a curse, used it like a hot poker to move him in whatever direction Brendol wanted him to go in.

To say Hux was acquiring a sweet tooth was an overstatement; some things he was given were eaten much slower than others, but he was confident she knew that someone couldn’t like everything. Some things actually stayed in a drawer in his office, in sealed containers of course, and he wasn’t above sneaking some bit when under stress or with his lunch if he ate at his desk to cram in more work. He thought about how much work she must do, how it must be difficult but just in a different way. Waking up before the sun to work in a hot room for hours on end, dealing with fickle tastes and sharp opinions. Actually, it was probably more comparable than he originally guessed.

In the morning he was waiting in line as usual and he was surprised at the size of the thing waiting for him behind the counter. It was probably as big as his head and rounded on the top, wrapped in brown paper. When presented with it, Hux could smell rosemary and garlic from the closure. “I didn’t know you made bread.”

“We used to,” Rey explained with a light chuckle. “When we opened bread was actually one of the main things for sale, but people liked the desserts more. I guess people around here would rather spend money on good dessert than bread, or they already had a place they preferred. We still make it to order, for some regulars and such.”

“This bakery hasn’t been open long, I’m surprised she learned so quickly what sold better. I’m impressed.” As he ceremoniously tried handing over the money before having to put it in the jar, Rey gave him a sly little smile.

“I’ll let her know, Mister Hux. Boss likes your opinions on things, it seems.”

“Oh?” Hux raised an eyebrow in question and the brunette blushed and laughed behind her hand.

“Nothing, just… whenever we tell her what you thought of her work, she lights up like a Christmas tree.” Hux himself practically glowed, though he wasn’t aware of it. He took the loaf of bread under one arm and with filled thermos in hand he went to his office. At lunch, he broke off an end and it was love at first bite, even if he had to carpet bomb his mouth with mouthwash and toothpaste to get the garlic smell out. He’d have to order his bread from her too, damn.

Hux didn’t know what possessed him to stop by the bakery on his way home, probably the massive headache that was his day, but he was glad he did. The aroma of the storefront almost instantly had him relaxed, the soft atmosphere a stark contrast compared to the world outside. Poe was working on clearing out the display case when the redhead approached, so he got a charming smile for his trouble too. “Rare to see you in here twice in one day. What’s the occasion?”

“The only thing worse than a client lying to us is a client who lies poorly.” Poe snorted in amusement as he pulled out a slice of what was labelled ‘A Kraftwerk Orange.’ At least Hux understood that joke. The man placed it on top of the case along with a fork he produced from behind the counter so that Hux could eat it right there and then.

“Boss is a bad liar too. Anyone asks her what’s up with you two, it’s like a 5-year-old trying to hide that they made a mess in the kitchen trying to get to the cookie jar.” He watched with interest as the redhead scooped a piece of the faux-cheesecake into his mouth and hummed his approval. “You know, on Thursdays, after we close, we go out to the bar down the street, on Sixth. You could always come, talk to her like a normal person.”

Hux stared at the man and had to remind himself to not let his mouth fall open in shock. “Did she say I could?”

Poe made a handsome sound that was a chuckle. “I’m pretty sure bars are public property that anyone can walk in to. Besides, I’m inviting you. My free advice is that usually by 10 o’clock she’s alone.”

To calm his nerves, Hux quickly ate the rest of his treat before handing the empty dish and used fork back to the man, too charming for his own good. On the walk home, he rehearsed conversations in his head, accounting for all sorts of possibilities. What if she didn’t appreciate him just showing up to somewhere she was outside of the bakery? He also had to think about what he’d do if a woman he was obviously interested in for more than just a quick fling made an inebriated pass at him. He’d, of course, do the right thing and walk her back to her home, make sure she got back safe. As wonderful as it would be, considering how long it’d been since his last sexual encounter, he’d rather not risk the possibility of her regretting something she did because she was drunk.

He would, however, fantasize about the other option. A lot.


	3. Parts 7-9: Fig, Whisky, Black Currant

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Recipes Featured: [[Honey Walnut Fig Cheesecake Bars](https://bromabakery.com/2015/07/honey-walnut-fig-cheesecake-bars.html)], [[Irish Whisky Brownies](https://www.recipegirl.com/irish-whiskey-brownies/)], [[Black Currant and Lavender Pie](http://www.seitanismymotor.com/2015/09/blackcurrant-and-lavender-pie/)]  
> Originally Posted: 2018-08-24, Revised: 2019-04-23

### To Be Frank (Figueroa)

Thursday saw him coming in for his morning coffee. It would’ve felt too strange to come in the afternoon and then see her a few hours later, or at least that’s how he had reasoned it. Rose handed him the small container of the supposed gift of the day. Hux caught sight of the name card and had a sudden fit of uncharacteristic giggles, having to cover his mouth with his hand to calm himself. The girl behind the counter looked at him like he grew a second head. “I apologize. Please tell her I appreciated the laugh this morning.”

“You and Boss must share some weird sense of humour, I don’t get it.” Hux walked to his office with a small amused smile on his lips. ‘To Be Frank (Figueroa)’ was something that had him snickering in meetings and to himself in his office. It wasn’t even that funny. The fig cheesecake with honey and walnuts had disappeared quickly despite the joke having been somehow blown out of proportion.

There would be quite a bit of time before the bakery crew would be in the bar on Sixth Street and Hux debated if it made more sense to stay late so he could look like he just had a long day at work or if he should go home to shower and change. The choice was made for him as things kept piling up and needing to be dealt with and he managed to get out by 9 that evening. When he passed the bakery it was, of course, closed and by the time he got to the bar just in the middle of the block on Sixth between Virginia and Washington, it was already 9:32 pm. The bar wasn’t really full, it was a Thursday after all, and it radiated the energy of being for ‘working class’ people instead of the trendy clubs that dominated most of the city. He didn’t look entirely out of place in his nice suit but the patrons didn’t seem the type for asking questions, mostly wanting to keep to themselves or their groups.

The too-handsome face of Poe beamed at him from across the room like headlights and with a wave of his hand, the lawyer was bid to approach them. Upon closer inspection it seemed that Rey and Finn were a couple, holding hands and occasionally giving the other a kiss or fond look. The other three had reasonable personal space and as luck would have it, or as his personal Cupid made it, there was a sixth free seat between the dashing man and his employer. Hux stood a respectable distance away but he was brought towards the table as Poe shook his hand while getting up, smiling at him much too broadly and greeting him as if they’d been long-time pals. “What do you drink? Next round’s on me.”

“O-oh, please, I’ll get it.” Hux didn’t know he could be so shy but then again he’d never met a bunch of people in a bar who he wasn’t representing or attempting to represent. Everyone cheered to the newcomer offering to pay for drinks and Poe took his credit card after given the new drink order. The redhead sat down in the unclaimed seat. Aneirin smirked at him as she brought her beer to her lips, licking the thin line of foam from her upper lip.

“Fancy seeing you here, doesn’t seem like your kind of place.” The two other girls took to giggling and Finn simply rolled his eyes, but he was amused. The Boss’s romance novel love affair with the seemingly uptight well-bred rich suit had been the bakery gossip since the day the man had stepped into their shop.

“I like to branch out.” From the corner of his eye he could see Rose give a thumbs up of approval at his quickly formulated save. Everyone thanked the waitress as she took the empty glasses and bottles and were excited to take their next round of drinks.

“To regulars.” The group laughed at their Boss’ choice of toast and raised their drinks to clink together, Hux’s cheeks slightly pink in the dim incandescent light as he joined them. Poe turned to him after the first swallow of his new beer.

“So, what do you do, Mister Hux? We’ve all taken bets.” Before he could answer, Aneirin spoke up.

“I told you, he’s a lawyer.” His green eyes slid over to her and his eyebrows knitted together. Everyone started giggling and, realizing her mistake, the lady baker took a big swig of her beer.

“Boss, we didn’t know you looked him up.” Rey playfully smacked her employer’s bicep. Aneirin huffed.

“He gave us his business address, it doesn’t take a genius. I was curious who would buy so many doughnuts and cakes.” Hux’s office administrator had booked birthday and retirement cakes three months out, to be courteous. The air she pushed through her nose was cold from recently swallowed drink. “Though I guess that’s not playing fair, he waited to get my name when he could’ve looked up the building and business records.”

“Is there a punishment for cheating?” A chorus of suggestions was sung by the employees but Finn’s stood out: she had to go out to dinner with him. “That sounds like an excellent idea, I haven’t eaten since lunch.”

“There’s a nice burger place down the street.”

“No that’s too far from our building, go to the pizza place with the nice crust.”

“Don’t listen to them,” Poe commanded Hux’s attention; it seemed his Cupid knew the Boss the best. “She is in the mood… for pho.”

A look to the woman in question confirmed, with the sly little smile on her lips, that the man was right. Poe clapped his hands in self-satisfaction. “I don’t have Vietnamese cuisine very often. I look forward to it.”

“Well, then, after this beer, let me use the ladies’ and close out my tab.” She gulped her beer down to half of what it was. Her blue eyes shined in the low light. “Then I’m all yours.”

* * *

###  Public Defender 

The other four had given the older two amused thumbs-up as they walked away from the table and Poe had the audacity to wink at Hux while Aneirin closed out her tab. It would’ve been easy to blame the slight blush on alcohol but the lawyer’s liver had seen enough action that one double Scotch wouldn’t have that effect on him. However, the unknown number of beers his now-date had consumed had her as red-faced as a cheery Santa Claus, but she was sure on her feet and spoke effortlessly, so he was unconcerned. They walked silently side-by-side, save for when foot traffic dictated that the polite thing to do was walk single-file.

The place was small and cosy, popular but not so much that they weren’t immediately seated in a quiet corner. The waitress exchanged excited words with the baker, obviously a regular occurrence, and upon Aneirin’s suggestion, they placed their order all at once. Hux didn’t know he could be so nervous, this was just a woman he was interested in for inexplicable reasons. Callous and cold were the words used to describe him but in the face of this warm quiet presence, someone might have called him shy and tongue-tied.

“I heard you liked my joke the other day.” The thought of it elicited a snicker and he quirked one side of his mouth in a humoured smile.

“I don’t know why it just kept occurring to me and made me laugh. I actually chuckled to myself in the middle of a meeting. It wasn’t even remarkably funny.” Hux realized what he’d said and opened his mouth to apologize but she snorted with a smirk on her face.

“Yeah, I’m not really funny. I just like making bad jokes.” Their food came, they both thanked the waitress though she managed to do so in Vietnamese, and Aneirin chuckled as she took up her chopsticks. “Noodles probably wasn’t the sexiest of first date food choices.”

Hux smiled to himself as he stirred his soup. “No, I suppose not. We can, however, be ugly together.”

“I’ve operated under the assumption that you’ve never been ugly a day in your life.”

“Oh, at one point I was all arms and legs.” After swallowing her bite of food she made a sound like someone spying a puppy or kitten.

“Gangly ginger running around? I would’ve been your best friend.” They laughed at the same time and he watched her face a little too long as she bent down to pull more noodles into her mouth.

“I’m sure I would’ve been oblivious.” Hux hid his small smile by continuing to eat.

“Would’ve been a cliché, two best friends mutually pining for one another without getting the courage to admit it?”

“For fear of being rejected?”

“Of course because-”

“Who could possibly love us?” They said the words in harmony and he swore his heart stopped a little. “I should’ve had another drink.” He distracted himself by smoothing a crease in his suit jacket.

“Is that your way of inviting me back to your place?” His full Cupid’s Bow lips parted and he even gasped a little, green eyes wide as he looked up at her. She smiled and chuckled. “Maybe some other time. I have work in the morning. And so do you.”

“Yes, well” he coughed “I believe I have the distinct pleasure of being able to afford a day off.”

“Mm, but you wouldn’t take one.” She started drinking her broth.

“You have me pegged.” Her blue eyes seemed so dark and inviting and his stomach coiled pleasantly at the smirk on her face.

“We have to warm up to that.”

“Sweet Jesus.” Hux’s exasperation was quiet but she’d definitely heard as her smirk broadened.

They finished their meal and there was a fun tug of war over who was paying and the possibility of just splitting it. When he brought up that she didn’t really charge him for anything he got at the bakery, she relinquished control of the little slip of paper to him. Together they walked to the corner of Virginia and Sixth and stood out of the way of foot traffic to say their goodbyes. It hadn’t really occurred to him how short she was in comparison and the thought of how adorable it was had him smiling softly in the dim incandescent light of a street lamp. “Will you be alright getting home? I could walk with you.”

“It’s just a block and some change, I’ll be fine. My knight in“ she inspected his suit pocket with her fingertips and he felt her tuck something inside it “wool armour.”

“It is a busy city and you are a small woman. I wouldn’t want anything to happen to you.” It would break his heart and he wasn’t sure he could recover from that. Aneirin got to her toes, her finger hooking under the point of his chin, and she brought him down to kiss his cheek softly. If he had anything to say he was incapable of speaking.

“Goodnight, Armitage.” He seared the sound of his name on her lips to memory.

“Goodnight, Miss Pritchard.” Hux’s eyes followed her retreating back until she’d passed a few buildings and he made his way to his apartment. He reached into his pocket and saw that it was her phone number. Millicent was insistent upon getting dinner and as he watched the cat eat he spoke to the air. “What in God’s name have I gotten into?”

The next morning he came in, although that was against his pattern. The girls at the front looked tired, dark circles under their eyes covered up by some makeup, but a look through the glass proved the bakers hard at work. Hux briefly caught the eyes of both Aneirin and Poe who both winked at him. He wasn’t sure he could handle flirting from both of them and he wondered if they had some sort of agreement. His thermos was handed back to him along with a container, his treat for the day. Rose gave him one of her big pretty smiles and her tone was like verbally being nudged by an elbow. “Boss doesn’t usually make these, must’ve been special for you.”

“Wouldn’t that be a nice thought?” He was leaving when he stopped in front of the counter to see what he’d gotten and its silly name. Rey tapped the glass, knowing which it was.

‘Public Defender  
Whisky Brownie w/ Powdered Sugar’

Hux didn’t know if he was more impressed with the wit of the joke or the boldness it took to make that kind of joke to him after a date. He sat at his desk and stared at the brownie in something akin to amazement. Then he took a bite. Then he sent his first message to her. ‘Where did you acquire such a sense of humour?’

He was in a meeting when he got the reply.

‘I plead the fifth. While I’m at it, I plead the second.’

Attached was a photo of the three bakers flexing. He tried to pass off his sound of amusement as an annoyed huff.

* * *

### Redacted

The air was starting to chill and so started Hux’s favourite season, Autumn. He hated the heat though he would eventually miss the plentiful sunshine for the sake of the elevated mood it gave him.

They’d been messaging each other for a few days, usually about the things she made for him, including a regular order of bread. The lawyer was trying to formulate a plan for a second date, one that didn’t have to be set up by well-meaning handsome men or pieced out once a day in little moments. Every time he meant to ask her to dinner something would come up that would have him staying late and he knew on a normal day she would go to bed too early for even a late dinner. At the very least he didn’t feel as if the chance at a relationship was falling out of his grasp, just that it was perpetually at the stage of their fingertips barely touching.

Finally, he had an excuse to ask for a portion of her time. With an anxious tremor in his hand, the other having its nails bitten which he cursed himself for, Hux sent a message that he hoped sounded neither desperate nor demanding. ‘Today is my birthday, I would be honoured if you join me for dinner.’

The whole day his phone felt like a piece of radioactive material in his pocket. Every time it buzzed he had to refrain from being too eager to see if it was her. He was starting to think he’d be eating dinner alone when at long last her name made his screen glow. ‘I’ll bring dessert.’

His heart leapt into his throat and he took a small drink from his hidden office bar to calm himself back down. Somehow Hux remembered to send her when and where his reservation was before he had to sit down to not pass out. He heard the telltale click of his assistant’s heels on the tile. “Sir, you look pale. More than normal.”

“I’m fine, Miss Unamo, thank you for your concern.” He pointed to the box in her hands. He recognized the packaging. “What is that?”

The distinctive cheekbones on the woman’s face turned a light shade of pink as she approached his desk and placed the box in the middle. “I know you don’t really celebrate your birthday, but I had noticed you seem to like that bakery down the street, so I picked you up something from there. I apologize if-”

“No, no, it’s quite alright. I appreciate the thought.” He opened the box to be greeted by a single slice of a pie with some dark-coloured fruit filling. He could smell lavender. “It looks quite good, I assure you that I will have it after dinner tonight. You may leave whenever you wish today, I will be leaving shortly.”

She bowed her head with its black hair pulled into a tight bun in the back and turned to go back to her desk. Hux briefly wondered if the baker had known this would be for him or if it was by pure chance. If Miss Unamo had talked about him at all in an attempt to gauge his interest the girls at the front would have undoubtedly identified him. He closed the box, got ready to leave, and folded himself into his car that he took that morning for once for the purpose of getting to the restaurant.

It was an upscale, but not so fancy as to be black-tie mandatory, steakhouse on Cali Ave that he went to every year, usually alone, sometimes finding a date at the last second. This year it had been the latter, though he’d been thinking about asking Miss Pritchard to accompany him a few days prior. Hux had been sitting at the quiet booth in a corner for ten minutes, nursing a neat double Macallan and resisting the urge to peek at his phone every five seconds, when he considered the possibility of being stood up. Then a figure came up to the table and slid onto the bench across from him. She’d obviously changed into what was probably her best outfit that happened to almost mirror his own: charcoal slacks that hugged the powerful legs he caught himself staring at, a lilac linen button-down shirt done up to the throat to allow for a subdued royal purple silk cravat with a silver diamond-stud pin, over which was a dashing waistcoat that matched her slacks with silver buttons and even a silver pocket watch chain crossing the overlap; a matching jacket with a two-pointed pocket square of the same material as the shirt finished the ensemble. Later he would note that her shoes were not heels and were a plain black leather not much unlike his own, but of course, everything had been tailored to fit a uniquely feminine body. There was a visible sheen of sweat, which she produced a handkerchief to wipe away, on her face and neck and laboured breathing indicated she had most likely walked there. She placed a bundle beside her, no doubt their dessert.

“If I’d known you were going to walk and in such nice clothing, I would’ve offered to give you a ride. I assumed you would want to drive yourself.” Hux hoped he wasn’t staring too much, but he didn’t think she would dress so well to eat with him for his birthday. Aneirin smiled shyly and if she wasn’t already flushed from exertion she might have blushed.

“I’m not overdressed, am I? I’m afraid I don’t have many opportunities to wear this.” She gave her appearance a cursory glance and even eyed the room to compare it to others. “I’m sorry, you were probably expecting a dress.”

“Don’t apologize, I think it suits you. It’s different, makes you look confident. I like it. I’m the one who feels a little underdressed.” They chuckled with each other and had to get themselves under control for the waiter to take her drink order. For a moment they sat in silence, playing with the edge of a napkin or inspecting a liquid as it swirled around a glass.

“So, which is it?”

“Excuse me?” Aneirin laughed softly.

“I meant which birthday is this?”

“Ah. 34.” He watched a smirk grow on her unpainted lips. Hux was willing to bet that she wasn’t wearing a speck of cosmetics instead of a subtle natural look, at most maybe plucked some stray hairs. “What’s so interesting about that?”

“Oh, nothing. Just that it seems I’m a few months older than you.” He was surprised she would admit her age, most women keeping it a closely-guarded secret.

“Cradle robber, huh?” They both laughed. When the waiter brought their drinks from the bar she realized she hadn’t looked at the menu at all. Seeing her nervousness he made a suggestion, actually the same cut of beef he was going to have, and she tailored it to her own tastes, which had him making a smirk of his own. “My, my, rare, huh? I’m starting to wonder if you’re a mind reader trying to be my perfect lady.”

“You don’t have to be a man to like a rare steak. Of course, my dad used to order his ‘so fresh a good vet could revive it.’ Or, ‘I want to hear it moo.’”

“Run it through a warm room.”

“Show it a picture of fire.” The two of them devolved into a fit of giggles, having to hide their mouths behind their hands to be polite. Hux’s face hurt, not used to grinning so much. They locked eyes for a moment and looked away at the same time towards their drinks, still smiling. Under the table, he accidentally hit her foot with his own. He briefly felt the toe of her shoe brush against his covered ankle before retreating. “So, what brought you into my bakery after it’s been open for a few years? You don’t strike me as someone who changes their routines very often.”

“You’re right, I don’t. I walked past your building hundreds of times.” He took a deep breath and let it out with a laugh. “Would you believe that a creature of habit like me happened to forget their morning coffee on the kitchen counter?”

“I wouldn’t.” One corner of her mouth curved up. “But I am glad you did. I liked playing my game with you.”

“Do you play games often?” For a moment he stopped breathing, a silly sense of jealousy creeping up through his chest.

“Not with strangers. They’re not usually as intriguing as you.” Hux subtly let out the breath he’d been holding. “Of course I don’t usually like making people chase me.”

“Oh, I knew you were interested, I liked your version of the chase. Making me wait but not hiding your true intention.” The conversation ended naturally as their meals were brought and they focused on not wasting the warmth of the meat on talking. It was fine by him because he needed to let out the tension building in his muscles. When they were done and their plates were taken he nodded to the space beside her where their dessert was waiting. “Should I ask them for plates?”

Aneirin tilted her head and lifted an eyebrow. “I was under the assumption you’d invite me over. You know, so your cat and I can sing you happy birthday.”

Hux laughed so abruptly he actually gave an undignified snort. She grinned. He paid for their meals, helped her stand up from her seat like a true gentleman, and even opened the door of his car for her. He had to wipe the sweat off his palms on his pants. In the car he could hear her laugh, having had to move the gift his assistant had given him before I left. “I take it you didn’t know.”

“When we get to your place, you’re definitely going to laugh.”

And he did. Because in the big box she brought him was the whole version of the pie. On the top of the box had been a precise black bar and he could faintly see the word ‘Redacted’ written behind it.

“Black currant and lavender. A little weird but you know me by now.” Aneirin, in fact, did gather up Millicent into her arms and sang him a happy birthday before they sat at his breakfast table to eat the dessert. She’d even baked cat treats which honestly had him reeling. He never thought he’d see a stranger get along so well with his little lady, she was very skittish, but there she was purring in the baker’s arms. She kissed the top of the kitty’s head before putting her down. “As lovely as your place is and as wonderful as dinner was-”

“You have to get up early in the morning, I understand completely.” Hux stood up at the same time as her and he elicited a chuckle from her as he rushed to help her back into her jacket. He took a moment to inspect her again, wondering what other outfits he might see her in. “Well, goodni-”

Warm lips were on his, a hand cupping his face, a thumb tracing one sharp cheekbone. He felt her breath on his face, tasted their dessert, and her body quiver from the effort of leaning forward on her toes. The baker moved away, a sweet smile on her face. “Goodnight, Armitage. Happy birthday.”


	4. Parts 10-12: Pear, Apple, Rhubarb

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Recipes: [[Pear Cake with Salted Caramel](http://www.oandoeats.com/home/2015/10/19/pear-cake-with-salted-caramel)], [[Bavarian Apple Torte](http://www.thetableofcontents.co/bavarian-apple-torte/)], [[Rhubarb Pie](http://www.simplyscratch.com/2018/04/homemade-rhubarb-pie-from-scratch.html)]  
> Originally posted: 2018-08-27, Revised: 2019-04-23

### Pearable

To say their first kiss didn’t have an effect on the stoic lawyer would be a bald-faced lie. He couldn’t get it out of his head, even did something so cliché as to run his fingertips over his lips just to possibly regain the sensation. It wasn’t like he hadn’t kissed anyone before, he wasn’t some blushing virgin schoolboy sneaking time with someone in a supply closet. The memory of the night occupied most of his thoughts.

“You look well, sir.” His normally severe assistant hung up his coat and brought in his correspondence, a conspiratorial little smile on her lips. “Was it a good evening?”

“What gives you that impression, Miss Unamo?” Hux’s tone was light and just a tad humoured.

“Pardon me, but last year you called out the next day sounding under the weather.” She regarded his features critically. “This year you appear… happy.”

“A remarkable thing, is it not?” He even smiled and if the people he interacted with didn’t fear being somehow reprimanded they would’ve said it was a pleasure to actually see him that day. The lawyer was attempting to get out of his office at a reasonable hour but of course, luck wasn’t always on his side. But he did get a message.

_Hope you had a nice day yesterday. I have to leave town for a few days, don’t miss me too much. <3_

A _heart._

She signed it with a _heart_.

Hux unintentionally dropped his phone on his desk. No one had ever been close enough to him to sign their messages with anything other than names and templated closings. It was new and exciting, he definitely felt like he had some silly boyhood crush.

_I did have a nice day, thanks to you. I will try not to miss you. Let me know if there is anything you need help with, I would love to help._

With Aneirin supposedly gone, he didn’t stop by the bakery on his way home but he did look in through the window and Rose waved to him when she happened to spy him. Hux wondered where his new… _friend_ had gone, what for, and how long, but they weren’t a ‘thing’ so he didn’t feel comfortable pressing for answers. If she wanted to tell him she would. Even just having her inform him that she wouldn’t be around felt like a step towards an actual relationship.

The next morning, Saturday, the lawyer woke up to two groups of messages and for once he didn’t immediately open the email from a client. Instead, he opened a string of texts from his little baker, scrolling up to where he’d last spoken to her.

_That’s very sweet, I don’t plan on getting arrested or in any sort of other legal trouble, I assure you!_

_Sorry for the late messages, I was driving._

Attached was a photo of the moon, large and slightly orange hanging in a dark sky peeking up from mountains. It would’ve been romantic to see together. There was a message he was surprised to see so early in the morning, before even he got up.

_Do lawyers get days off?_

There were some more photos: a group of cats huddled up on a dog bed, a big hound using a cat bed as a pillow. A placid body of water framed by dark thick trees, the sky early-morning grey, a light fog hazing the edges, the mass of an elk standing on a hidden sandbar a few feet from shore. Her beaming with a fish probably as long as her arm, sitting in the back of what looked to be a beautiful wooden rowboat. A couple drinking coffee on a back porch, late 50’s, woman short with greying blonde hair pulled into curlers, the man built like a bear if they were lumberjacks, long wiry fire-red hair with streaks of grey, tight braids tied with metal beads on both his head and beard. A quaint wooden house nestled on a rolling green hill, a gorgeous secluded property, flowerbeds and colourful trees.

A glimpse into her life. It was as if he’d come along with her. Hux checked his work emails and heaved a sigh.

_Sometimes, but not today, unfortunately._

He got ready to go into the office to deal with a new headache. The day was a flurry of meetings instead of the relaxing day he’d been looking forward to, which turned his previous good mood sour.

But the day softened when he sat down to look at his phone before leaving the office. 

_I’m sorry. :(_

There were more photos and from them Hux pieced together that she was attending a wedding. The baker was wearing a black and white version of the ensemble she’d used for his birthday and her hair was in a high ponytail instead of the tight bun. Even for a wedding, she didn’t appear to be ‘done up,’ though he noticed her nails had been painted with alternating white and black polish, little ‘button’s making them into tuxedo shirts. It made him strangely happy to see her so happy and having fun.

_If you need some cheering up, stop by the shop. I think they miss me._

Hux admitted he needed some cheering up and even though there was no possibility of seeing Aneirin, he chose to stop by the bakery on his way home. The crew seemed to brighten to see him and since the place was slow they all stopped their cleaning up to talk together with him.

“We figured she’d take you with her, mate.” Finn, the one who had spoken, and Rose were the ones charged with getting together things for everyone to eat while Poe and Rey pushed around tables and chairs.

“She may be a bit clairvoyant, as it turned out something at work needed my attention.” Rose put a plate, fork, and a cup of coffee in front of him where he sat with Poe and Rey. “Oh, thank you so much. What is this?”

“Oh, it’s _Pearable._ ” Everyone burst into a fit of giggling. The pear and salted caramel cake did actually liven his spirits a little. As did sitting with a group of people who were just as happy to have him silently sit in on their conversation as much as they were to hear a thing or two from him. Hux was used to interactions that necessitated him being active, eloquent, and thoughtful, so it was a welcome change to the normal. He even interacted with Poe’s beagle ‘BB’, which Finn joked was short for ‘bitchy bastard’, and usually, Hux didn’t like dogs.

Turned out all of the bakery employees lived in the building above their workplace along with Aneirin, who owned the whole thing. He imagined that being close friends and coworkers, they had the opposite of his lonely life.

Until now.

* * *

### Snow White Special

Sunday saw Hux in the office and his phone inundated with photos from the wedding of Aneirin’s childhood friend. At some point she’d asked for a photo of him, to show off most likely, and he was willing to subject himself to the indignity of taking a selfie (or about ten of them) in his office. It was too late to stop by the bakery on his way home so he instead took a hot shower after feeding Millie and flopped into bed. 

Habit meant he stopped by the shop in the morning and when he saw the small blonde furiously working away in the back his heart leapt up into his throat. Rey gave him a knowing smile as she handed him back his thermos and the slice of a Bavarian apple torte that his little baker had cheekily dubbed ‘Snow White Special.’ He was starting to wonder how he’d managed to not gain weight since he turned this into a regular thing.

Around lunch he was bursting with pent-up energy, most of it focused on a desperate need to see his ‘lady friend.’ As if the universe heard his prayers, his phone buzzed.

_Want to come by for lunch?_

His mind played a little game of tug-of-war trying to decide how long he needed to wait in order to not seem desperate or too excited, but in the end, common sense won out and he realized he could answer as soon or as late as he damn well wanted.

_I would love to._

Hux threw on his jacket and told his assistant he’d be taking a long lunch. It was his firm he could do as he pleased, what else would be the point? To save time he decided to cut through the alleyways behind buildings instead of the sidewalk L-shaped path and he found Poe leaning back against their building by the back entrance, smoking a cigarette. The handsome man smiled and waved. “She said you’d come by.”

“I hope there isn’t a problem with that.” His tone was light and the man chuckled, so no offence was meant or taken.

“Aren’t you cute? She’s upstairs.” The shorter man put his cigarette out in an ashtray and opened the door for him. He pointed to a stairwell after flicking on the light and locking the back door. “Hers is the top floor, the door will be open.”

The building was made up of the bakery and 3 floors of apartments, supposedly two bedrooms to a floor if they all lived there. The smell of fresh bread filled the stairwell and the sound of music drifted down from the open door. Hux took off his shoes by the door, not wanting to track in the grime of the city into her home and also out of habit. He found her in the small kitchen, slicing a fresh loaf of bread to use for sandwiches. “Smells delicious, as always.”

Aneirin jumped a little, startled, but she laughed it off, smiling easily at him. “Aren’t _you_ a sight for sore eyes?”

He stood beside her as he helped make his own lunch. “You’ve had quite the trip.”

“I _have._ I hope I didn’t bother you too much.” They brought their plates to the small table and she poured cups of coffee for them both before sitting down across from him.

“No, I enjoyed it. As if I was invited.” She became nervous as he took a bite of his food.

“I had thought about it, but-”

“ _Please_ , don’t feel like you had to-”

“It seemed sudden and there were my parents and-” Hux covered one of her small hands with his long pale fingers, taking it gently into his grip and running his thumb along hers.

“Some other time, yeah?” She nodded after searching his calm face and he gave her hand another squeeze before pulling away. “I take it that was your family’s property? It looked beautiful.”

“It’s been in our family a long time. We’re not really rich or anything but it’s a nice place to be.”

“I will certainly enjoy it. When you want to take me.” The normally collected and smooth woman turned red and giggled behind her hand. She told him more about her trip as they ate. Finished, she let him see her modest space and he commended her on having the whole building to herself. The place was full of books and plants, a huge divergence from his minimalist decorating, but it felt cosy and he was just as comfortable in it as he was his own home. 

When she walked him down the stairwell she kissed him goodbye, lingering just long enough for him to gently place a hand on the small of her back. A warm sensation crept into every crevice of his being to see that she seemed reluctant to see him go.

* * *

### Not-So-Subtle Barb

One thing people would never expect of Hux was that he actually loved feeling helpful. Most thought he was motivated by money, prestige, and an inflated ego. He had more money than he needed, didn’t really care for prestige (to spite his father), and his ego was admittedly quite small and modest. He worked because he needed to be busy, he worked hard because he _did_ actually need to feel a bit accomplished, and he was a lawyer so he could help.

So when Aneirin needed his help he didn’t hesitate.

She’d called him in such a fit of hysteric tears that Rey took the phone from her to properly explain the situation. Despite having been in the country legally, Poe was taken in by Immigration. All of her employees being immigrants, the boss baker became distraught that somehow something had gone wrong for all of them and she’d lose all her friends. Hux left his office early and practically ran through the back alleys to get to the bakery, ringing the buzzer at the back to be let in by Finn. “She’s upstairs, mate.”

Apparently, his lady friend was too upset to work through the rest of the day, leaving Finn to do what he could with the ovens and the girls keeping the front together. He found her drinking herbal tea, wrapped in a blanket, and sitting in the aroma of a scented candle in an attempt to calm down. Hux gingerly sat down beside her and put his arm around her shoulder. “Everything should’ve been fine, he’s been here two years, I-”

“I’m sure you both did the proper things, it’s entirely possible this is either a misunderstanding or, well, the government doesn’t always play by the rules.” He took her mug and put it down on a coaster on the coffee table so he could pull her into a hug. Rubbing her back through the blanket he laid his cheek on the top of her head and let her cry into his shoulder. “It will be okay, I’ll make sure of it. And I’ll make sure everyone else is fine, too.”

The first step of that was making sure she was fine enough to continue her days without bursting into tears. It was obviously very upsetting to someone so kind and warm to think she might have ruined a friend’s life. Hux hadn’t intended it but after calming her down, finding all of the available paperwork involving the crew’s employment, and sitting for a light dinner in her kitchen, he’d stayed the night. It hurt to see his friend so broken and she’d taken comfort in lying down with him, her head resting on his chest as he stroked her hair. Sleep had somehow come easily, he must’ve been more exhausted than he thought.

The fact that bakers got up at ungodly hours gave him time to run home to not look like he didn’t go home last night. Which he hadn’t, but he didn’t need everyone at his office to know that. Hux was given a light breakfast, a filled thermos, and an emotional kiss goodbye after he promised he would fix everything. His short visits to the bakery turned into meals and conversations, tender moments of comfort and bits of jokes.

It took some time but the problem was sorted and Poe was more than happy to see Hux waiting to pick him up from the detention centre. The shorter man flung himself at the tall lawyer, wrapping him into a strong but friendly hug, lifting him off the ground and spinning him about. It left the redhead reeling but his heart soared at how much his service meant. The drive back into the city was filled with the male baker apologizing for not getting a proper shower before getting into the expensive car and thanking him for helping the whole ragtag family out.

When they got to the bakery, the crew was waiting for them and BB ran full bore to his best friend. Despite everyone giving warm welcomes back, Poe went to his boss first to calm the sobbing woman. A little better, the man sent her off to hug the lawyer while everyone talked about his time away and of course what to have for dinner.

“Armitage, thank you so much, I-” Hux pressed his lips against hers before she could answer. Her arms laced behind his neck and he pulled her close.

“I am more than happy to help you and I wouldn’t hesitate to do it again.” Even though cheering and clapping proved otherwise, he felt as if they were the only two people in the world.

He’d been invited to stay with them as they ordered Chinese food, Finn and Rey picking it up along with celebratory beer, and all six of them sat in the closed bakery playing board games. Upstairs in Aneirin’s apartment, they split a ‘Not-So-Subtle Barb’ rhubarb pie.

“This was the first thing of Boss’ that I tried,” Poe admitted. They all shared their first tastes and their favourite memories of working together in the bakery. Their raucous revelry didn’t manage to wake their employer up where she’d fallen asleep on Hux’s shoulder. Taking notice they all quietly got up, thanked the lawyer again, and left, closing the door behind them.

“Come on, let’s get you to bed.” Hux wasn’t very strong so he was graciously able to wake her up long enough to walk herself to the bedroom, only to fall asleep as soon as she hit the bed. As respectfully as possible he dug around for night clothes and whispered an apology as he undressed and redressed her. It was late, he was tired, and he was just a little bit too drunk. He didn’t plan on going into work the next day, so he found an extra blanket in the linen closet, stripped to his underwear and undershirt, and stretched out on her couch.


	5. Parts 13-15: Blackberry, Maple, Pumpkin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Recipes: [[Raw Vegan Blackberry 'Cheesecake'](https://www.letseatcake.com/raw-cheesecake-blackberry-vegan/)], [[Maple Cream Pie](https://www.tasteandtellblog.com/maple-cream-pie-recipe/)], [[Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars](http://yummiestfood.com/pumpkin-cheesecake-bars/)]  
> Originally Posted: 2018-08-18, Revised: 2019-04-23

### I'll Be Blackberry

Hux’s whole life had changed in a few short months all thanks to forgetting his coffee one morning, from a man who had the most predictable habits to changing his plans on a dime. Of course if he had something pressing and important to see to he could say no, but he actually enjoyed running over to the bakery for lunch, showing up early to have breakfast in the kitchen while he watched the bakers work, or staying at his office until Aneirin was done as well so they could have dinner. He loved watching each other’s favourite movies or finding new ones as they sat curled up together on her couch. He loved, even more, having her come over to his place Sunday evenings for him to cook for her and they play with Millicent.

One day Hux even made the split decision to take the day off in the middle of the week. Bundled up against the encroaching chill he lazily walked to the bakery and he actually smiled shyly when the front girls were amazed to see him not in his nice suits on a Thursday. Rose was the one to help him. “Oh no, are you sick?”

“No, Rose, I took the day off.” The dark-haired girl beamed and handed him back his thermos of coffee and made him a plate of ‘I’ll Be Blackberry’ cheesecake. As always he wasn’t charged but he slipped them a generous tip into the glass jar. She lifted a portion of the counter so he could walk into the blazing hot kitchen, primly sitting down at a table in the back. Finn gave him a hurried ‘hey mate’ and Poe winked with a ‘nice sweater, handsome.’ When Aneirin swooped around the corner she nearly dropped the tray in her hands but thankfully she was able to put it on a cooling rack instead. Hux had to stop smiling to give her a kiss. “I like watching you work.”

“I’m sure I’d like watching you work too if I could. I like the sweater, it looks good on you.” She would’ve rubbed the material if it didn’t mean she’d have to redo her gloves. “Firm burn down?”

“No, took the day off.” She laughed and bounced on her heels to dissipate her need to be always moving.

“Hey, Boss, why don’t you take the day off, too?” Internally Hux thought about how Poe was definitely his favourite of her employees and friends. He knew the man felt indebted to him for fixing the legal trouble but in the redhead’s eyes he more than made up for it. He heard Finn agree.

“Oh, no, I-”

“The only days you take off are Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years.”

“I took off for that wedding!”

“Go on, you need a break, Boss.” Finn nudged her with his elbow and winked at her. “We got it covered, we’re not newbies anymore.”

“Why don’t you take BB for a walk?” Hux, having finished his coffee and ‘breakfast’ while the three bakers argued, stood up and started untying her apron. Later he’d curse himself for how suggestive that was to do in front of her employees.

“You hear that? BB needs a walk, we wouldn’t want to be cruel.” Aneirin huffed but one look into his face and she gave up the fight. She appeared particularly exhausted and he would’ve put all his money on her immediately falling asleep once her head hit a soft surface.

He waited as she got cleaned up and together they went up the one flight of steps to get an excited beagle out of Poe and Rose’s apartment. While the baker used the restroom he crouched on the floor, playing with the dog’s floppy ears and talking to him like he might Millicent. BB was excitable and a little mischievous but ultimately sweet and loving, Hux hadn’t minded the animal’s presence when he was with the whole group in the building. Together they walked to the closest park and once they got there he slipped his hand into her free one. His were always cold and hers were warm, so it felt doubly nice. She squeezed him, he squeezed back.

At the other end of the park was an area where dogs were allowed off their leashes and Hux offered to let Aneirin sit while he used a stick to play fetch with BB. There was a moment where he thought the dog might get in trouble with a blue tick heeler but the older formal-sounding gentleman said they’d run into each other before and had slowly become friends. The beagle was suitably tired to rest at their feet as the lawyer also sat down, enjoying the crisp air. Aneirin laid her head on his shoulder and slipped her hand into his again. “I like spending time with you.”

“I like spending time with you too.”

* * *

### If You're Maple

Hux was a planner and that, unfortunately, meant he was already making plans way ahead of schedule. There was no way that he should be thinking about things like living arrangements and finances when all they’d done so far was kiss and spend time together, but he couldn’t help it. Too many factors were at play: she lived in the perfect space for her but the problem was it wasn’t ideal for them both. Sure it was closer to his office but it was too small for two people where they’d both gotten used to having their own space. If they moved in together he would want it to be a place more permanent, he’d need his own office, and what if Millie and BB didn’t get along…

He also didn’t want her friends hearing them when they decide to be intimate. Complete strangers? Fine, it happens. Friends? No thanks. But he didn’t want to ask her to leave and he didn’t want to stay separate. However, he was getting ahead of himself and was fully aware of it.

So he settled for occasionally sleeping at her place, where he left a group of suits and peripherals after they were dry cleaned. They slept in the same bed and he even had a second set of toiletries there. He found it cute and only a little disappointing that she was too shy to get changed in front of him, but he was nothing if not respectful of the pace she wanted them to go. A few times she stayed at his place and went into work at the same time as him, but she had no qualms about wearing the same outfit twice in a row and he knew she used his toothbrush and comb. It took a bit but he got over how gross it initially felt to know that fact. They kissed, ran their fingers through each other’s hair, and generally occupied the same space a lot of the time, so what was a toothbrush?

Once he’d stayed the night and she was already gone downstairs to start baking, so he was left to either go into his own office earlier than normal or wait in the building. He was getting ready when he realized that he’d never been in the second bedroom. Briefly, Hux considered the possibility that a second person lived there all along but another seriously doubted that; she never seemed eager for him to not be around at certain times and none of the other tenants seemed nervous or tried to withhold information. However, it felt like an invasion of privacy to just open the door to see what was behind it. Before he knew it, it was time to leave and he just had to put the room out of his mind.

The holidays were approaching which meant things slowed down a bit as people wanted time off and made travel plans. Hux poured over the potential itineraries of the more important people he worked with and wistfully thought about when he could ask his lady friend to go away with him. He never really took a week off, except maybe a few times when he was too ill to work or he just wanted to be gone. The other factor in future plans was similarly married to her work and he knew he’d have to find some way to convince her she could leave her bakery in capable hands. So he did something crazy.

“Hey, Lifesaver, Boss didn’t say you’d be coming.” Hux knew exactly when Poe took his smoking breaks like clockwork, which had in this instance worked to his advantage. At some point, the lawyer had realized that the man was just a massive flirt who couldn’t help himself despite being in a relationship with Rose. Apparently, as long as he didn’t do anything she didn’t care and he was a very loyal person so it worked.

“She doesn’t know.” The man gave him a confused look but didn’t argue or ask. “I want to take her away for some time off, but I know she will be hard to convince.”

“Ah, I get it.” He put his cigarette out but he didn’t move to leave. “I think you have to ask for the right thing.”

“Suggestions?” They could go anywhere, it wouldn’t matter. He just wanted to spend the time with her, uninterrupted.

“I have one but you probably wouldn’t like it.” Hux insisted he wanted to hear anyway. “Well, Thanksgiving is coming up and she loves her parents. She didn’t get to go last year, the weather was too bad.”

Hux’s mind raced. A family holiday. With her family. He didn’t really know how to handle families, especially happy ones. What would he say? Was he supposed to bring something? If he bought a bottle of wine or liquor how much was too much to spend, or would he end up looking cheap? What-

“Hey, they’re really nice and calm people, you’ll love them. It’s just the three of them, animals, no drama. Great cooks. You’ll get along great.” Poe opened the door and held it open for the other. “Why don’t you come on in? I think there’s a slice of pie with your name on it.”

Hux took a leap of faith and walked in after his personal Cupid, a swarthy angel on his shoulder. Upon entering the back of the bakery Aneirin was nowhere to be found but he sat down at the small table anyway, tapping the stainless steel surface nervously. A slice of what he recognized as ‘If You’re Maple’ maple-cream pie found its way in front of him as the lady baker slid into the seat across from him. “Poe said you dropped by, what a surprise.”

“Yes, well…”

* * *

### Plumpkin

A year ago he definitely wouldn’t have expected to be driving out into the country to not only have Thanksgiving dinner but also to be meeting a woman’s parents. The fact that they’d be on the property for five days would have also been a surprise, but they packed a suitcase each into his car, gave Rose a key to his place to feed Millicent while he was gone, and they were off. It’d been a long time since he’d seen the outside of the city and Hux could almost feel the tension of his life fall away like leaving a jacket behind.

He’d fussed about it for days but once she’d agreed to take the time to go see her parents with him, he was determined to bring something for the occasion. Settling on a moderately priced bourbon, he decided that if he was around for Christmas he’d get them something nicer. If they liked him. If she still liked him. If he didn’t suddenly panic and have a sudden feeling of mauerbauertraurigkeit.

The drive was pleasant and easy. He wore a nice sweater and for the dinner itself brought one of his nicer suits that was hanging in the back. When Aneirin spied it she told him he didn’t need to be so fancy but he had to look his best and thus she brought along one of her nicer outfits, the two garment bags looking like two flat bats snuggling. At some point she’d reached over and softly placed a hand on his leg near his knee and when the road stopped being a meandering twist to navigate the side of a mountain he took one hand away from the steering wheel to rest it on hers.

Hux had big hands but his lady friend must have been descended from a race of giants because he felt enveloped by her father’s presence. And his hand. And the hug afterwards. He was glad he left the suit for the actual dinner or else it would be a wrinkled mess by now. Her mother was much more reserved and kissed him on both cheeks before inviting him into their home. It was comfortable, rustic, and warm, exactly as he imagined it. He noticed that Magnus, her father, had to stoop under some thresholds and if her mother, Miriam, wasn’t of a similar height to Aneirin he would’ve wondered how two vastly different people could be related.

They were kind and excited, Aneirin didn’t seem nervous about them meeting him, and for once Hux got to see what loving families were like. Magnus appreciated the liquor gift, a load off of the lawyer’s mind, and after a nice homecooked dinner the baker took his hand to show him around the property. As the days grew shorter the sunsets got earlier and so the two of them stood to enjoy the last orange light as it disappeared over the western stretch of forest. In the romantic glow, they shared a passionate kiss that left them both red-faced and shy. Back at the house, he was surprised that her parents assumed they would share a bed, he’d expected there to be some prudishness about an unmarried couple sleeping in the same space. Instead, they all had a drink before turning in, which he was thankful for after the long drive.

The visit consisted of a lot of walks and hikes, helping clean up after meals, snuggling with a veritable herd of cats and dogs that he learned were all rescues, and a lot of drinking and games. Her parents loved playing card games and it seemed no matter what Aneirin couldn’t win, but she was nonplussed and called Hux out for trying to ‘be nice’ to her. Miriam played chess with him and he found it curious that they also played games from non-European countries, such as Mahjong and Shogi. Magnus could perform a tea ceremony while talking about his grandfather who came over from Scotland and his wife showed him how she wove her own wools. There was no awkward ‘what are your intentions’ talk, only polite genuine interest in his work. As soon as it became obvious that his family was a sore subject they changed the conversation, he was a little impressed on their ability to read a room.

Thanksgiving saw the kitchen destroyed and restored a hundred times as everyone worked on their specific dish, working together like a well-oiled machine. Hux could see how his lady friend ran a bakery kitchen so efficiently. Not particularly adept at cooking the types of food they had planned, he was tasked with cleaning up and making sure things didn’t burn or get stolen by sneaky pets. He was allowed to help make dessert and upon hearing the way Magnus and Aneirin spoke to one another and the way Miriam rolled her eyes, he realized where the silly sense of humour came from. At first, he thought he was going crazy, but they kept saying ‘plumpkin’ while making cheesecake and calling things by the completely wrong name or using puns at every opportunity.

Everything was delicious and Hux definitely questioned how he hadn’t gained weight yet. Leftovers were set aside for the couple to take home the next day and he noted that it was portioned as if they lived together. But what was said to him before they left was the nail in the coffin of his insecurities and doubts.

“We can’t wait to see you for Christmas. You’re always welcome here.”

They wanted to see him again.

He had friends.

A girlfriend.

A family.

He was finally a normal human being.


	6. Parts 16-20: Pomegranate, Blueberry, Rice, Strawberry, Sweet Potato+Coconut

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Recipes: [[Pomegranate Tart](https://bojongourmet.com/2017/12/pomegranate-tart-hibiscus-lemon-almond-flour-crust-gluten-free/)], [[Nordic Blueberry Almond Crust Tart](https://www.hummingbirdhigh.com/2015/07/nordic-blueberry-almond-custard-tart.html?spref=pi)], [[Rizskoch (Hungarian Rice Cake)](https://www.thespruceeats.com/hungarian-rice-cake-recipe-rizskoch-1136602)], [[Heart-shaped Churros with Strawberry Sugar](https://www.elephantasticvegan.com/heart-shaped-churros-strawberry-sugar/)], [[Sweet Potato Coconut Butter Fudge](https://quitegoodfood.co.nz/sweet-potato-coconut-butter-fudge/)]  
> Originally Posted: 2018-8-28, Revised: 2019-04-23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who enjoyed this pure and wholesome excuse for fluff and soft Hux! It was a pleasure to write!

### Underworld Delight

Hux wasn’t exactly clear on how he could be simultaneously the happiest he’d ever been and also possibly the most anxious. His mind was a jumble with plans, back-up plans, lists of gifts, hypothetical conversations, preparations for fights that weren’t going to happen. It felt as if there was a fire in his heart and under his tail, going a mile a minute trying to find the perfect everything.

Every standard gift idea made no sense when it came to Miss Pritchard: she wasn’t very materialistic or flashy, so that left out jewellery and other things that people owned for the sake of wealth and importance. He wasn’t really used to giving gifts that were supposed to be meaningful.

He hung around the bakery a lot and it gave him opportunities to speak to her friends in private to gauge ideas for Christmas. All he was able to really learn was that they described her as ‘practical’ and that if he really couldn’t think of anything she wouldn’t actually mind. At some point, he became curious about what she was planning for him or if she was planning anything at all. Was it just as difficult for her to think of something for him when he was a man who could get anything he wanted and she felt like she had to run herself into the ground to stay afloat?

Being around a lot had come to fruition when he noticed that the bakers had become frustrated with one of their ovens. Hux had an idea. A practical idea. When Poe went out for his post-lunch cigarette he slipped out as well.

Maybe it wasn’t a diamond necklace or a trip to France. It wasn’t a new car or a house in the quiet country. But as soon as the question fell out of Hux’s mouth he knew had found the perfect gift idea based on the reaction of his friend.

Hux liked to help, sometimes that meant getting the best possible sentence or knowing the right person. For Christmas that year it meant he had deep pockets and he didn’t care one bit about digging into them.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t practical to have an industrial oven delivered and installed on or near Christmas. It also wouldn’t have been practical for it to be installed in the middle of the day while they were trying to bake, so Hux struck a deal for the technicians to come later in the day when they wouldn’t normally. It only cost him a healthy chunk in a cash tip but the look on his lady’s face would be more than worth it.

Aneirin had nearly fainted and the other two were practically bouncing up and down in excitement despite Poe having known already what was going to happen. Then she’d started crying tears of joy, talking incomprehensibly as she hugged and shook him. But by the end of the day, the bakery had a new oven and the old one was taken away to be donated to a soup kitchen after undergoing some repairs, which he would’ve organized anyway but earned him another adoring look. The whole crew stood around the new unit in amazement and Hux knew he’d done well.

Against all logic, he started contemplating what other things he could replace for her while she made a pomegranate tart to test her new appliance. The other ovens were similarly old but in working order, there were, of course, the refrigerators and freezers, mixers, ingredients and all kinds of tools. The front could be remodelled. Building upkeep…

“One Underworld Delight, for my personal Santa Claus.” Aneirin brought him out of his train of thought as she put the dessert down in front of him and slid into the other seat. “You were looking very intense over here.”

“Just fantasizing.” She got a mischievous smirk on her face. “What?”

“You’ll see.” Her eyes watched him intently as he took his first bite. “You’re staying the night, no arguments.”

* * *

### Shot Through the Tart

It was worth the wait. Hux had never been closer to another person and he knew that no one else could take her place. This was it. He was in love. He didn’t say it yet but he knew and accepted it. It was all he could think about while she was making the blueberry tart to take to her parents'.

They were getting ready to go to her family’s house for a 3-day Christmas when Aneirin stopped him from going down the stairwell one last time. “I, uh… I don’t really have a lot of money and while I’m crafty I haven’t really had time to make something…”

He took her hands in his own and smiled at her before kissing the tips of her fingers. “Don’t worry, sweetie, I’m happy just getting to be with you.”

She turned pink and glanced down shyly. “That’s cute. I didn’t really get you anything but… this is probably silly.”

“I’m sure it isn’t.”

It was unconventional but so was an industrial oven. Hux didn’t exactly cry but he was touched.

The spare room that he never looked into had been made into an office for him. She had put in a desk and Poe had reupholstered a chair for him. There were some lovely plants to brighten the place up, new curtains, a few shelves and drawers for him to store things, and she’d moved his spare suits to the small closet so they no longer got squished in with her own clothing. On the desk was a modest framed photo of her from the wedding she’d gone to, obviously taken by a professional photographer. “That’s for you to take home.”

“Is it possible to get another one?”

“I guess so. What for?”

“I’d like one for my desk at the office.” Hux gave the room another round of inspection. “What used to be in here?”

“Books, knickknacks, the plants were here already, sewing machine. Knitting supplies. A table loom.” Aneirin made a vague gesture. “I wasn’t really using a lot of it this past year and-”

“You didn’t get rid of things to make room for me, did you?” He became temporarily worried she was under the impression she needed to take up less space to accommodate him.

“No, I just sort of cleaned up, compacted things, some I put in the storage. I only got rid of things I didn’t really want anymore.” Hux let out a relieved sigh before sitting at the desk. He wouldn’t have to put his laptop actually on his lap anymore or do paperwork at the kitchen table. He had space for more spare clothes.

The lawyer hadn’t realized he was sniffling until he felt his hair combed back by delicate fingers. “What’s wrong? You don’t like it? I’m sorry, I-”

“I just love you so much.” Red hair was kissed.

“I love you too.”

* * *

### Rice War

Christmas passed much like Thanksgiving, filled with familial warmth. Hux felt as if he was walking in a daze but he did everything in his power to be present in the moment. When they got back it was hard to remember he had to go home to see Millie, he wanted to spend all of his time at the bakery apartment. He’d more or less come to the conclusion that when they moved in together he’d try to find a way to make it work for him to join her instead of making her move. Her place was smaller but otherwise, it was the best option.

The holiday season saw a lot of activity for his new family and so he missed her but it gave him time to think. Mostly about a future where he woke up every morning to her face and didn’t have to worry about the next time they’d have time for each other. Regular family vacations. Being there for their friends for both good and bad times. Eventually, maybe she wouldn’t bake every day and they could get a house in the outlying country, keeping the apartment above the bakery for when they went into work. Then they could get Millicent a friend or two. They’d have time for hobbies.

Hux never really celebrated New Year’s but he would never turn down an opportunity to drink and have fun with the bakery crew. They all gathered in Aneirin’s apartment to eat, the rice cake disappearing quickly, and play games all night. He only wished he’d felt comfortable bringing his cat, but he didn’t want to upset her too much by moving her around without time to adjust. He considered the possibility that he might not make it to midnight but he was glad he did.

The ball dropped and the clock struck midnight but the room didn’t erupt in excitement because of the new year. When he pulled his face away from giving his lady a New Year’s kiss he saw Finn down on one knee and Rey in emotional tears. Rose was excitedly squealing, Aneirin was clapping, and Poe was probably on the verge of crying himself. Hux was in shock but an approving smile painted his face.

Aneirin made an apology for not paying her assistant enough but she got a round of crushing hugs. It was obvious the brunette didn’t care that the ring was plain and unassuming, all that mattered was how happy her partner made her. Seemed the reasons for celebrating compounded and somehow they managed to clear the whole building of all but the cooking-only alcohol.

Even though Hux was pretty drunk for a change, he couldn’t sleep for a few hours after everyone went to their own apartments. Lying beside the softly snoring blonde he revisited future plans.

* * *

### Hopeless Romantic

Hux liked sitting in the bakery in the morning because it was nice and warm while outside was nice and cold. Of course, the more he lingered in the kitchen the more baking lessons he received and Valentine’s Day morning saw him in an apron and appropriate attire for standing in the sweltering workspace. Understandably the holiday was a busy one and so he’d been trained to help in order to free up more skilled hands for more complicated things like candies. He’d informed Miss Unamo that he wouldn’t be coming into work, ironically to just do a different kind of work that he’d be paid for in kisses and a steak dinner at his apartment later that evening.

Aneirin had actually informed him she didn’t care that much about Valentine’s, pegging it as a silly result of capitalism. He didn’t know that until he’d already bought the ingredients for a nice dinner, but it saved him from buying roses. It seemed ridiculous to buy a baker chocolates when she could make her own desserts, so he hadn’t planned on that. He did, however, have a photo of them from Christmas printed and framed for her to put on her bedside table, at least that was more personal.

The lawyer found he liked working with his hands, even if he wasn’t as good as it as the others, but it was better than helping the girls up front, he couldn’t deal with the general public as they did. So he spent his morning making ‘Hopeless Romantic’ churro hearts and cleaning up after the real bakers. Was it already clear that he loved being helpful?

The bakery closed early and everyone made a concerted effort to clean up faster than normal so they could all get to their own holiday plans. Their friends thanked him for helping out and wished them a happy Valentine’s Day as they left for his apartment.

The two were curled up on the couch, Millie on his lap and both humans sipping beers when he spoke up. “Your other roommates are going to get engaged.”

“Oh? How do you know?” He wasn’t exactly surprised that she seemed neither super excited or upset, she’d been very reserved about Finn and Rey’s engagement.

“Poe asked for my advice.” Aneirin snorted a laugh and he chuckled with her. It had seemed a little funny that he was deemed an appropriate person for romantic advice. “I may have given him some money to help with the ring.”

“Aw, that’s sweet. I’m happy for them, I’ll try to act surprised.” Hux stared as she went back to petting Millie and watching the movie they’d chosen even though she’d seen it several times already. Eventually, she noticed and turned her attention to him. “What’s that smile for?”

“You’re so… different.” She looked confused. “I like it.”

“Get used to it, pal.”

Oh, he already had.

* * *

### Shipwrecked

Two friend weddings and a short trip to the UK later and Hux was still full of butterflies every time he woke up next to Aneirin. He finally pulled the trigger and asked to introduce Millicent into the apartment. The only unfortunate side effect was BB wasn’t allowed in the top apartment but Millie thankfully got along with all of the humans. He brought his things over in pieces and together they decided on what stayed and where everything went, but eventually he was able to terminate his lease.

A distant voice told him he was being ridiculous, there was no way he was going to stay happy. Years of parental discouragement had him questioning if he was being used for his money. If he was she was playing the long-con as she kept trying to grab for checks and get to the PIN pad first when they got groceries. Then he remembered that they went grocery shopping together and he smiled to himself.

So Hux had a plan. It was unnecessary but he had one.

They were in the kitchen, him making dinner while she experimented with a new sweet potato and coconut fudge she wanted to call ‘Shipwrecked’ for reasons he could not rightly understand. He almost burned himself on the pot of pasta.

“Would you ever-”

“Yes.” He stopped what he was doing to stare at her.

“But I didn’t-”

“I’d marry you in a heartbeat.” All of her attention was on her work but he didn’t care, he understood its delicate nature.

“I have something to tell you.” Even from the side, he could tell her eyebrows knitted together in confusion. “I reserved a crew to redo the bakery kitchen.”

It was a dangerous thing to do but she turned her body to him, face in shock. “Honey, that’s thousands of-”

“I don’t care.”

“I could’ve said no.”

“I know, it wouldn’t have changed my mind. I’d still love you.” She checked her concoction, maybe to give herself a moment to think.

“What if I’d said no and changed my mind after you said you’d buy me a new kitchen?”

“Well… then I’d know you just wanted my money. I’d still buy you a new kitchen because I’d still love you, but I’d move out and hope I never saw you again because it’d break my heart.”

“Good thing I don’t want you for your money.” The weight of the conversation hung in the air as she finished up her project and Hux set the table. After her first bite of salad, she finally spoke again, a smile on her lips. “You sneak, that’s why Poe and Finn were playing ‘fantasy kitchen’ with me and those catalogues.”

“I plead the fifth, but I cannot rightly plead the second.”

It was simple and hassle-free. Family and friends only. Hux got to meet her childhood friend Sebastian and his family, the bakery crew came, and of course, there was a lot of Magnus crying and calling him ‘son.’ There was a lot of joking about how her father had to carve and paint them a wedding topper because the only appropriate ones they could find were two grooms. He actually would’ve been fine with that and would’ve found it just as funny, but the thoughtfulness touched his heart. It was his wedding day, he could be emotional. Everyone was a little emotional.

And a bit drunk.

Everyone had fallen down at least once, for varying reasons. Hux’s was when he tried to carry Aneirin into the house for the romance of it. Aneirin’s was because she carried him over the threshold only to trip on a rug.

Hux got barbeque sauce on his favourite tux and didn’t care.

For a solid hour, they all sang every song that came on the radio.

They chased fireflies.

Had an arm-wrestling competition. Rey won.

Fell asleep on the screened-in porch.

Took care of each other’s hangovers.

Got that quiet house and two more cats.

Never fell out of love.


End file.
